Voila! After all the researching and the preparing months to Comoros you’ve decided to fulfill your dream and here you are! You’ve made the right choice! The view outside the International airport is breathtaking! Lookin’ pretty good huh!
First of all, where are you? In Prince Saïd Ibrahim airport! It’s located in Ngazidja Island, near Hahaya village and far away from the capital Moroni.
What’s your next step? If Ngazidja is not your final destination you have to take another flight. That will take you only 20 to 40mn to go to another Island.
Key tips:
- During your stay in Comoros prefer air flights to travel from one Island to another as other transportation modes are not very utilized. The standard rate is 50 Euros.
- If you consider going to Maoré from Ngazidja you must pay a supplement: approximately 400 to 600 Euros.
If you’re staying in Ngazidja Island and wanna go to the capital you might consider taking a cab. Public transports are not developed yet. Taximen actually replace them. A common thing in Comoros is to share your taxi with others. Normally you must pay 500 Comorian francs (1euro) per person but that depends on the distance. So, round up 2000 Comorian francs for the taxi from the airport to Moroni (capital).
If you prefer, you can rent a car. That will cost you approximately 30 Euros per day.
If you don’t have secured a hotel room, don’t panic you can still go to the bed & breakfast located next the airport. Or you can go to the Cristal Istandra Hotel: 15 minutes drive from Prince Said Ibrahim Airport. They always have available rooms.
Important Informations to Have On Hand
This country isn’t very organized with ambulances & 24/7 assistances. In fact, Comoros’ health care system is not very well structured nor proficient. So if you’re injured or sick the first thing to do is to look for doctors near you (prefer private ones).
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If you want to connect with your family and friends, you must buy prepaid cards. Public phones right now are not a commonly use in Comoros. Public WIFI isn’t developed yet. Internet access relies on a prepayment system so it’s very expensive. There’s practically no competition for this service. You will have to purchase a mobile internet device. VOIP services are not wide-spread. High speed Internet in Comoros isn’t developed for everybody. So if you’re connected, prefer checking your emails or connect with your friends on social networks. You can also look for internet cafes in the capital or in villages.
Fast Facts
- Most of manufactured goods in Comoros are imported so prices are high.
- Comoros’ country code is 269.
- Incoming mail isn’t delivered directly to your home address. You have to search for a box in a post office or subscribe to a service (like mail forwarding) directly in a local post.
Quick Tips to Getting you Started
- If you’ve decided to rent a house, contact the owner or the rental agency. Make sure you have all your papers in order. Ask if a bond is required.
- If you’ve already find a position, it’s time to contact your hierarchy.
- Key driving advice: Pay attention! There is no traffic light or driving sign in Comoros.
- Go to a local bank and open an account. For this, you will be required to provide them with a permanent address, ID card and you’ll have to make a first deposit.
This covers up all the things you might consider after landing in Comoros Islands.
Author Credit:
Houssnati Baraka
Blog: alternativecities.wordpress.com
Twitter: @barakahoussnati
Just landed
